John Paul Seymour was killed September 13, 1940 in a plane crash in
Canada. Seymour was one of those who volunteered for service prior to
December 7, 1941. Pilots trained in Canada
became eligible for service with the RAF in the "Battle of Britain".
LAC (Leading Aircraftman) Seymour was piloting a Cessna aircraft near
Unit 12 SFTS RCAF - Brandon, Manitoba. His remains were returned to his
mother
- Ethel (Devlin) Seymour. He is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #6362621

2. WILIAM WHITE - Class of 1937

William Joseph White was killed October 8, 1940 in a plane
crash in England. He was an officer in the American Eagle Squadron of
the Royal Air Force. His father reported that he attempted to join the
US Naval
and Marine Air Corps, but was rejected by both due to a small growth
inside his nose. He left Washburn University and traveled to Tulsa,
Oklahoma where he was given training sponsored by the Canadian
government. He was transferred to Ottawa, Canada
and then to England in July. The Perry Mirror, October 16, 1940 (USGENWEB Archives - sumbitted by Jim Laird 7-20-2005)

Philip
D. Caine in his book EAGLES OF THE R.A.F.: World War II Eagle Squadronsexplains
that White was piloting one of four planes (all Hawker
Hurricanes) that crashed in formation into a mountain on the Isle of
Man. The No. 133 squadron was attempting to let down in very bad
weather to refuel before continuing on to Northern Ireland. They were
to receive further training based in Londonderry and were assigned to
pilot the "unpopular, but critical convoy patrol duty over the North
Atlantic." Caine says that the No. 133 squadron was hampered by the
lack of experienced hands to help the "green" pilots that had been
placed in
the unit. The multiple plane crash event ironically took the life of
one of the squadron's most experienced pilots. Petty Officer
White is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, UK.American War Memorial Overseas, Inc

3. PHILIP DESCH - Class of 1936

Philip Jacob Desch was killed November 20, 1942 in a runway accident at
Foster Field, Texas. Desch joined the Army Air Force in October, 1942.
Details of the events leading up to the accident are not available but
his death was caused when he was struck by an airplane propeller. Topeka Daily Capital November 21, 1942
He was previously employed by the Santa Fe Shops and was survived by
his wife Adelaide. PFC Desch is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in
Topeka, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #24618828

4. ROBERT BATEMAN - Class of 1939

Robert M Bateman was killed in fighting near Bastogne, Belgium
January 7, 1945. Bateman joined the Army in 1940 and
initially was part of the 193rd Glider Infantry
Regiment. In 1944 they became part of the 17th Airborne Division
and the unit arrived in England in 1944. They were sent to assist
Patton's 3rd Army that had arrived from the South to liberate Bastogne.
Sgt. Bateman was leading his men in the face of determined Nazi
resistance. He was killed by machine gun fire in or near the area known
as Deadman's Ridge .

James Curry died March 17, 1942 after a car collision in North Topeka.
Curry was a very popular member of the 1937 Class and was living in
California prior to the accident. News reports of his accident stated
that he returned to Topeka recently to join the USMC. He was just
starting out on the trip back to California with a friend - Edward
O'Byrne - when he was thrown from the car during the crash. Topeka State Journal March 17, 1942 and Topeka Daily Capital, March 18, 1942. He
was included in the roll of war dead in the 1946 Shamrock. Records of
his enlistment in the Marine Corps could not be found. I can remember
discussions about him with one of my relatives Mary Ann McCarthy. She
said that he probably would not be listed technically as a WW II
fatality by today's standards. She confirmed that it was his intent to
join the Marines - but conceded that his trip to Topeka may have been
as a goodbye to his old friends and to his Grandparents who stilled
lived here. The reporting of his enlistment may have been his intention
upon his return to California. Still, the death was tragic and still
fresh in the minds of the Hayden community in 1946.Find A Grave Memorial #25524531

6. ALFRED BOOKER - Class of 1935

Alfred Booker was killed February 10, 1945 in a B-29 Airplane crash
near Cuba. He enlisted in the Army (Air Force) on July 15, 1940. T/Sgt
Booker was part of a 7 man cross country training mission out of Smoky
Hills AFB in
Salina, KS to Cuba. The "Silver Crew's" B-29,
named for the pilot, stalled immediately after take-off resulting
in a power dive and headlong impact into the ground. Impact produced an
immediate fire and explosion killing all on
board. T/Sgt Alfred G Booker is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #8411709

7. IVAN MAY - Class of 1936

Ivan May was killed November 12, 1941 in the crash of a Douglas DB-7
(aka A-20 Havoc) near Mohawk, Arizona. May was "ferrying" the plane to
Tucson, Arizona on the first leg of a trip with England as a final
destination.
He normally had a co-pilot, but was recently flying solo for more
training and for performing the mission of transporting planes to
the war in England. The planes he and others were flying were used as
light bombers and night fighters.
He joined the Army Air Corps in 1940 after graduating from the University of Kansas.

The news of his death appeared on the front page of the Topeka Daily Capital dated November 13, 1941.
He was one of the first Topekans to die in service of the United States
in World War II. Technically he may not appear on some
war casualty lists because the USA did not enter the war until December
7, 1941. The story had quotes from his parents and was written in a
very dramatic style. As the war death totals increased - obituaries
were short
and much less personal. There was evidence that May tried to force land
his plane on a highway but pulled up to avoid a car in the way. He
crashed the plane into a gulley and was killed. Of the four
planes that left Long Beach, California, two were forced down by bad
weather in Phoenix and another crashed killing the pilot. Lt. Ivan
Joseph May is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #24834486

8. WILLIAM MENTLICK - Class of 1936

William Mentlick was lost October 25, 1944 in the Battle of Leyte Gulf
near Samar, Phillipines. He was rated as an Aviation Radio Tech First
Class USNR and was part of a crew in the VC-10 Composite Squadron. This
squadron was carried by the USS Gambier Bay described
in WW II as an Escort Aircraft Carrier. The Battle of Samar portion of
the greater Battle of Leyte was a significant reason for the defeat of
the Japanese fleet and return to the Philippines by the USA. The
Gambier Bay was sunk in the battle and many VC-10's that were able to
take to the air were shot down. It is not known how Mentlick was
killed. He could have been hit aboard the carrier or aboard one of the
VC-10 bombers. Some died while waiting for rescue. ART1C William E.
Mentlick is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. He also has a memorial tablet at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Colby, KS near his birthplace
in Tully, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #105433618

9. LESTER RENYER - Class of 1941

Lester Renyer was killed in action April 16, 1945 somewhere in
the Rhineland, Germany. Renyer was a PFC in the Army, 33rd Armored
Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. This group took the city of Cologne
shortly before the death of
Renyer. Details of his death were not available. His family moved to
Los Angeles, California after his graduation from CCHS and details of
his death might be available from Los Angeles newspapers of the time.
PFC Lester J. Renyer is buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands.

10. STEPHEN SURBAUGH - Class of 1937

Stephen Surbaugh was lost April 5, 1944 somewhere in the Mediterranean
Sea. Surbaugh was a Staff Sergeant and part of a B-25 Mitchell Bomber
crew in the 428th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium. The
mission of this
outfit at the time of Surbaugh's death was support of the Allied drive
on Rome. The group flew missions out of their base in Algeria. 1st
Lieutenant Laula M. Middleton and his crew, including Surbaugh, went
missing in April, 1944.
S/Sgt Stephen G. Surbaugh is memorialized on the tablets of the missing
at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunis,
Tunisia. Find A Grave Memorial #56250678

11. MICHAEL SOMMERS - Class of 1937 ?

Michael Sommers was killed May 6, 1943 in an auto accident in Mojave, Kern, California. The Topeka Daily Capital of May 8, 1943
states that he enlisted in the USMC in September, 1942 and had been
wounded in action.
Military classified his death as DNB (Died Non-Battle). Sommers was a graduate of Capitol Catholic High
School as Hayden was known in 1943, but his senior
picture could not be found in annuals from 1936-1940. He is placed in the
Class of 1937 based on a name mention in annuals prior to that year.
PFC Michael J. Sommers is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka,
KS. Find A Grave Memorial #25092804

12. CHARLES LOPEZ - Class of 1942

Charles Lopez was killed October 18, 1944 after the B-24 named "Flying
Ginny", in which he was a Tail Turrett Gunner, crashed after a bombing
mission on a chemical plant in Leverkusen, Germany. On the return to
their base the bomber hit the "prop wash" ( aka slipstream) of planes
ahead of them in a cloud bank. The pressure of that event sent the
plane into a sharp bank to the left and basically split it apart. There
were two crewman who survived and reported this
information and the location of the landing - seven miles from Ghent Belgium. History of the 67 Bombardment Squadron - 44th Bomber Group (8thairforce.com)

Lopez
attended Topeka High and Hayden - his enlistment record say he had 3
years of high school. He is placed in the Class of 1942 based on his
birth date of July 8, 1925. S/Sgt Charles R. Lopez is buried at Mount
Calvary Cemetery
in Topeka, KS. His remains were not received back in Topeka until April of 1948. Find A Grave Memorial #19497658

13. THOMAS FLYNN - Class of 1939

Thomas E. Flynn was killed December 17, 1943 in action with the USMC
2nd Division. The exact location of his death could not be found. Some
reports say New Zealand was the location of his death. He was a Chief
Cook in
USMC 2nd Division Headquarters. It is possible he was involved in the
major action at Tarawa in December 0f 1943 and then died from wounds in
New Zealand. That is purely conjecture. Other known facts are his
enlistment in Oct-Nov
of 1940.

Thomas Flynn is pictured as a Junior in the 1938 Shamrock even though
his birthday was 9-12-1919. His father was deceased and the family was
based out of Leavenworth, KS. His mother came to Topeka with Thomas and
lived with
with an older daughter. Probable that Thomas did not graduate from
Hayden but he is placed in the Class of 1939 because of his appearance
in the 1938 yearbook. Chief Cook Thomas E. Flynn is buried in Mount
Calvary
Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS. Find A Grave Memorial #36467342